Clearing device for water racks



Jan. 8, 1929.

Filed April 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

Jan. 8, 1929. 1,698,387

E. L. BRQOME' CLEARING DEVICE FOR WATER RACKS Filed April 2, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 8, 1929.

E. L. BROQME CLEARiNG DEVICE FOR WATER RACKS 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 1927 ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 8, 1929. 1,698,387-

E. L. BROOME CLEARING DEVICE FOR WATER RACKS Filed April 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. L.

A TTOR S.

Patented Jan. 8, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE;

ERNEST L. BROOME OF TARRYTOWN, NEW YORK.

CLEARING DEVICE FOR WATER RACKS.

' Application med April 2,'

sition; Fig. 5 1s a View similar to Fig. 4

showing a modified form' ofthe invention; Fig. 6 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 66 ofFig.5. a

My invention relates generally to a trash removing device for ,use in connection with screens or ratings mounted across hydraulic gates or sluiceways. The accumulation of trash, carried by a water current against the upstream side of a screen or rack not only impedes the flow of water through the grating but it also produces a damming effeet on theflwater and causes the building up, of head or pressure which may seriously 'in-' jure the rack or its supporting structure. It

has heretofore been the practice to station men at the racks to remove the accumulating trash from the bars through the use of hand rakes having long handles. My invention has for an object the provision of power actuated means for removing'or preventing the accumulation of trash or litter on the upstream side of ascreen or rack placed across the supply opening through whichwater flows to a water wheel or the like. The invention comprises the use of toothed bars included in the grate or rack structurewith power driven means for providing a verti cally reciprocating motion of the toothed bars to produce anupward travel of the collected material and-to cause it to be elevated and deposited over the upper extremityof the grating from where it may be carriedaway by a stream of water, orby other suitable means. A feature of the invention includes the use in alternation, singly or in groups, of stationary and movable b'ars, both the stationary and movable bars being provided on theiriupstream edges withprojecting teeth,.the relative movement of adjoining bars being particularly useful in preventing the adherence of ice to the rack. Otherfeatures ofthe invention will i be hereinafter described and claimed.

Referrin to the drawings for a more de-- held in engagement with the toothed edges 1 1927. Serial No. 180,404.

or rack made up of substantiallyvertically arranged bars 10 is shown. The bars 10 are supported on horizontally arranged supporting' beams extending transversely across a Water gate or opening 12 formed in the wall or body of a dam structure 13. Racks of this general character are universallyused in connection with a supply of water from a running stream to water wheels or other devices through which the head or pressure of the Water is converted into power for any purpose.- The moving streamof water flowing'through the gate carries with it trash and litter which, if left'undisturbed, would in a relatively short period of time so clog and obstruct the flow of water through the grating as to greatly cut down the volume of flow. In'addition, the weight ofthe accumulating litter tends to injure the grating and its supporting parts, 1

In order to prevent the accumulation of trash against the upstream side of the rack bars 10, the bars 10 or a'portion of them are provided with projecting teeth 14. The toothed bars ora portion of the toothed bars are given a vertically reciprocating -move'- ment such that material deposited on and of the bars 10 is caused to travel upwardly until it has emerged above the levelor surface 15 of the body of water 16. The material'thus conveyed to "the surface of the water is disposed of in any suitable manner. The clearing'action, which is thus provided by the vertical reciprocation of certain of the rack bars 10, results, as will be seen, in the maintenance of a substantially cleared condition of the rack so that no accumulation of material thereon can be produced.

The means provided for producing areciprocation of the rack bars 10 in a sub- 'stantially vertical direction or along their longitudinal axes includes a motor 17 which,

a worm 19,'drives a gear 20 which is provided with a crank pin 21 having an op erating connection with a link 22 which. is in turn connected to a crank arm 23 carried on a shaft 24. The shaft 24 carries a pair. of "crank arms 25 which, through link members 26, connect with a shaft 27 extending across the rack structure and in a journaled relation to the upper ends of such rack bars 28 as are to be recipro'cated. I 7

While for the sake of providing an'illus-f tration I have shown in Fig. 1 alternate rack jthem'move in one directon while others e thus providing a p p g ing movementof certain of the toothed rack;

simultaneously move .in'an opposite direcvertically reciprocat bars 213, a progressive upwardmovement. of

of the material as it emerges .tliroughlthe constricted outlet 31 at the upper end of the trash .orlitter which engages thetoothedi upstream" edges of the bars is produced so that thematerial is gradually moved to the surface of the water and into a tapering or constricting space. or channel 29 formed,

between the edges of the rack bars-10,28

and theconfronting surface of a. compress. ing or compacting member 30wh1ch acts to.

produce a compacted condition of; the trash; and litter which facilitates handling tapering channel 29.. a

In orderto facilitate the complete removal 2 of the accumulated litter as it travels through the constrictingchannel 29, fingers 32. are provided. which are attached, at their upper ends to a guard or directing member 33 V and extend downwardly between the upper ends of. the rack bars 10 and28. The: directing finger members 32 cause the "litter emerging through the throat-or constricted space 31of the channel 29 topass overthe. rounded upper surface of. theguard mern hen-33, the materialcventually findinglits' Figs; 1, 3 and 4, the path of movement" way intoa running stream of water 34: in

a gutter or channel 35 along which the litter finds its way to adisposal station.

In the form of .he invention. shownt in of the movable bars 28 is along the longitudinal axes of the bars. This struce v vated toward the point 0 tural. arrangement and mode of. opera- 7 tion is adequate for the purpose and the up 'wardly. moving teeth ofthe movable bars carryupwardly the engaged material which is then held by the teeth ofthe alternately arranged fixedbars so that, step by'step, progressively elethe engagedmaterial is disposal. a

In Fig. 5 of the drawings, an alternative form of. the invention is shown in which themovable rack bars 28 aremoved vertically or, at 'an angle to'their longitudinal a: axes so that the teeth of the movable bars are .fmoved outwardly beyond the planeyof the adjacent teeth of the stationary iba -s This movement results in a lifting of the en Lwasa? a gagedinaterial 31 outwardly from the station my teeth and then upwardly to a higher This structural arrangement and mode of 0138111131011 is under ame circumstances more eifective "than that produced by the structure shown in Figs. 2,"'3 'and4; Aniexample of a situation where thisistructure is employed to advantage is when the jaccur'nulating litter ""position" for engagement with a more ele- 1 vated set? of istationaryevbars.

and trash includesfrelatively rigidobjects,

such "as sections of. logs or the like.

thel structures shown in Figs; 1', 2, and 14; theWmovable; bars are I mounted in slits 36 fprovided infithe jhorizontal flanges of set" offanglefi'rons 37 attached to the upstream faces of the; structural beams 11: already referred to. The ,slits, 36' serve a as guid s for -thefrack barsQ10andf28 and ray vent the buckling for sidewise. movem nt's the barsimm their normal'jposi'tions.

'The compacting of the material. as it H passes through the converging channel 29is mosteffective when the collected material ofsa flexible and elasticnature, asis usually the case. However; when the trash or litter contains material ofa more rigid and bulky; 7 character, suchas piecesof plank or; lo s, the V compactmg member 30 is so suspen ed as.

i to yield under the. pressureof the more bulky material forthis purpose is, suspended at itslower end by meansof aachain tackle structure .i passing over. sheaves Z38; and

anchored tothe tie-block 39. I The upperend in ofthemember 30 is attached atone end of an arm 40 pivotallysupportedat 4:1 on a ander- 1. 4

sf the i nd o h M 0. provided with. a weight member 43 by Whichl any degree of resistance desired. to

theyielding of the member30 under the pressure .LOf the material passingthrough thechannel 29 can be provided. lt-will'be seen that the counterweight j st ructure pro-, duces a desirable balance of the "compacting member 30 which will permit bulky material, such "as limbs,fbranches,or log sec-.- tions to push the member. 30 away from its} a normal position to. permitthe passage of;

upper surface the bulky material over the of theguardmemberBS. 1 If desired, a shieldmemberysuch as is shown at 4 4, ma be providedatoflprevent material from; fa ling over theupper end:

of. the member 30 into the/moving stream The termsiand expressions, which I'have employed, are used as terms of description a and not of limitatiomand I have nointention, in :the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding anyxmechanical equivalents of the features shown and. described, or portions thereof, 1 but recognize.that variousr strucr l tural modifications are possible'gwithin the;

scopeoftheinvention claimed What I claimis I 1. In a device for preventing the ma: I

fiows, said grating being formed of sub-' stantially vertically extending bars provided with projecting teeth on their upstream edges, means with which said bars cooperate to lift accumulated litter and means for reciprocating certain of said bars substantially along their longitudinal axes to thereby elevate the litter out of obstructing relation to the grating.

3. In a device for preventing the accumulation of litter .on the upstream side of a rack through which a stream of water flows, said rack being formed of substantially vertically extending bars provided with proj ecting teeth on their upstream edges, means for holding litter against said bars, and means for reciprocating alternate bars in said rack substantially along their longitudinal axes to thereby carry litter upwardly out of obstructing relation to the rack.

4. In a device for preventing the accumulation of litter against a grating through which a stream of Water flows, said grating including substantially vertically disposed bars having projecting teeth on their upstream edges, means for vertically reciproeating certain of said bars to thereby move the litter upwardly out of obstructing relation to the grating, and a directing-member including guiding fingers inserted between the upper ends of the bars to direct accumu lated material to a place of disposal.

5. In a device for preventing the accumulation of litter against a grating through which a stream of water flows, said grating including substantially vertically disposed bars having projecting teeth on their upstream edges, means for vertically reciprocating certain of said bars to thereby move the litter upwardly out of obstructing rela+ tion to the grating, and a yieldingly sup ported pressure member mounted in such relation to the upper end of the bars as to provide a converging channel through which the material passes to thereby provide a compacted condition thereof.

, 6. In a device for preventing the accu mulation of litter against a grating through which a stream of water flows, said grating including substantially vertically disposed bars having projecting teeth on their upstream edges, means for vertically reciprothe-litter upwardly out of obstructing relavcating'certain of said bars to thereby move tion to the grating, and a compressing member pivotally-mounted at its upper end and flexibly suspended at its lower end in a position to provide a converging channel adjacent the upper ends of the bars through which the material passes to thereby provide a compacted relation thereof.

7. In a device for preventing the accumulation of litter on the upstream side of a grating through which a stream of water flows, said grating being formed of substantially vertically extending .bars Y provided with projecting teeth on their upstream edges, means for reciprocating certain of the bars substantially along their longitudinal axes thereby to elevate litter lodging thereagainst, means at the upper end of the grating for compressing the litter as it is received, and means for conveying the complurality of toothed bars, means'for guiding saidtoothed bars to permit longitudinal re-' ciprocating movement thereof comprising a number of supports distributed along the length of said bars, and means for imparting a straight line reciprocating movement to said bars.

ERNEST L. BROOME. 

